Fourth of July
by BeccaBear93
Summary: [Check, Please! webcomic] Jack visits the Bittle family. Bitty tries to make the best of what he thinks might be the last time they see each other.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I wrote this before the year 2 finale, so... Well, it goes against what actually happened when Jack visited the Bittles for the Fourth of July. Sorry!

...

Bitty is shocked when he opens his door in the middle of summer to see Jack, duffle bag slung over his shoulder and a small smile on his face. He gapes at Jack for a minute, then turns around to gape at his mother, who is grinning.

Bitty steps backward, silently gesturing the other boy inside. Finally, Mama Bittle takes pity on him. "I was Skyping Bob, and when I saw Jack, I thought we should invite him over for the party."

His immediate reaction is mortification at the thought that their parents have advanced to the level of Skyping. His second is quiet excitement and gratitude to his mom. His third… "For the Fourth of July? But he's Canadian."

His mom's eyes widen like she'd completely forgotten that fact, and they both turn to look at Jack worriedly. He shrugs. "Regardless of the reason, I couldn't miss a party that includes your cooking." Bitty flushes in pleasure, but it turns to a scowl when he realizes that the statement was aimed at his mother. Jack catches the look and flashes a small smirk at him.

"Well, our very own Captain is in Georgia," Bitty says to change the subject. He ignores the voice in the back of his head screaming that Jack isn't their captain anymore, the same way he's been ignoring it for the past two months. He pulls his phone out of his pocket. "I think this needs to be documented!"

Jack rolls his eyes but doesn't object. He lets Bitty push him and Mama Bittle closer together and even takes off the Falconers hat and indulges him with a smile. Bitty snaps the picture and instantly tweets it. His mother leaves them alone after making him promise to send the picture to her.

"I've only been here for five minutes and you're already tweeting, huh, Bittle?" Jack says over his shoulder.

Bitty jumps, unaware that he'd moved, then tweets, "Goodness, y'all! He's only been here for five minutes and he's already chirping me!" followed by a chick emoji. He smirks, well aware of the fact that Jack is reading over his shoulder. Then he sends the picture out to the SMH group chat, puts his phone on silent, and slips it back into his pocket.

"You got here just in time," he says, wandering over to the oven. He checks to make sure the pie is done and pulls it out to cool. "Now I understand why she suggested the maple sugar crusted apple. She asked you what your favorite was, right?"

Jack nods, and Bitty dishes up a slice for each of them. They sit down at the table and eat quietly for a few minutes. Soon enough, though, the silence gets to him. It isn't comfortable like it used to be. Of course he's happy to see Jack again, but… they haven't talked since he graduated. Jack was probably too busy preparing for hockey season with the Falconers, and Bitty could never think of anything to say that wouldn't give too much away. "So… Have you picked out a place yet?" he asks awkwardly. Last he'd heard, Jack had been searching for an apartment in Providence.

Jack shakes his head and starts rummaging through his bag. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that."

Bitty smiles but tilts his head in confusion. "Me?"

"Yeah. I told you we'd take pictures of all the kitchens," he says, laying photos out on the table.

Bitty laughs. "I didn't think you were serious!"

"Of course I was."

Right, of course he was. Jack always means what he says. He should have known better.

"I thought you would know what looks best," Jack continues. "And you'd probably use it more than me when you visit."

' _When_ , not _if_ ,' Bitty notes, unable to tamper down a smile and light blush. "Is this _really_ a factor in your choice?" he asks, still not quite able to believe it.

Jack just looks at him like the answer is obvious. "Why wouldn't it be? You're happiest baking in a nice kitchen, right? I wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable."

Bitty has to look away for a moment, heart clenching painfully. 'This boy,' he thinks. 'He doesn't even realize what he's implying.' He forces himself to look back with a smile, but he can't quite meet Jack's eyes, instead staring at a point over his shoulder. "Right, let's take a look, then," he says. He pours over the pictures for a few minutes, shifting them into different piles. Finally, he sits back, glancing over them one more time. "Well, obviously I can't tell exactly how good they are or how well the ovens work just from looking," Bitty says. He points to a group of five pictures. "But these look the best from what I can see." Honestly, only three of them would really meet his standards, but he didn't want to limit Jack's options based on his opinion of a kitchen he probably wouldn't even see in person. Besides, even if he did visit and cook there, he could work with anything with a functioning oven, and just about anything was better than the Haus.

Jack smiles. "Great. I really liked this apartment," he says, pointing to one of Bitty's three actual choices. He can't help that his heart leaps just a tiny bit. "It has a lot of space, it's close to the rink, and the view from the balcony is amazing." He gathers up the pictures, replacing them with a single one of the aforementioned view. There are enormous buildings in the background, but the majority of the picture is taken up by an expanse of water, trees lining it and reflecting off the edges.

"It looks great," Bitty says. "Your photography really is amazing."

Jack allows a rare proud smile. "Thanks. I've been taking a lot of pictures lately. It's a lot of fun."

"I'm glad." What he doesn't say is that he's glad Jack's finally found something he can enjoy and take pride in other than hockey; something that he won't be compared to his father for.

They lapse back into silence, and Bitty slowly eats the last few bites of his pie just to have something to do. "The real celebrations won't actually be until tomorrow," he says eventually. Jack hums in understanding. Bitty doesn't really want to ask, but he does anyway. "Have you met Coach yet?"

"No. Is he here?"

Bitty sighs. "Yes. I guess we should probably go introduce you."

...

Overall, the night doesn't go nearly as badly as it could. In fact, Jack and Coach get on just as well as Bitty had feared they might, though Jack clearly has a bit of trouble hiding how uncomfortable he is with all of Coach's talk about Bad Bob Zimmerman.

Eventually, his father retires for the night, and Bitty finally relaxes. Jack glances over when he lets out a sigh. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Bitty answers, nodding. He hadn't even realized how nervous he was until Coach left the room. Now he realizes that he was scared of them all being in a room together because Coach might somehow figure out that Bitty had feelings for Jack, but obviously he can't _say_ that. He puts on a half-smile. "Just a little tired."

"Well then, let's go to sleep," Jack says, already standing up.

Bitty motions for him to sit back down, but he doesn't. "It's fine," he insists. "I'll last a while longer, and it's not like you're here every day."

"No, let's go," Jack repeats. "I should get up early to jog anyways. I know I can't practice while I'm here, but that's no reason to slack."

Bitty laughs and stands up, stretching. "Alright, alright." He leads Jack to his room. There's a sleeping bag that his mother left on the edge of the bed, and Jack starts to lay it out. Bitty shoos him away. "You're our guest, Jack Zimmerman. I'm not letting you sleep on the floor," he says sternly.

"Okay. I'll take the couch then," Jack says, heading for the door.

Bitty grabs his arm and motions to the bed. " _I'll_ take the floor," he says. Jack sits down but lets out a quiet laugh, and Bitty raises an eyebrow. "Southern hospitality is no joke."

"I'm not going to make you sleep on the floor, Bittle. This is _your_ home."

"Well, I'm certainly not going to make _you_ sleep on the floor."

Suddenly, Jack grabs Bitty's wrist and pulls him to sit down on the bed next to him. "We'll both sleep here, then," he says, like it's a completely rational compromise. Bitty sputters for a minute, and Jack adds, "If you have a problem with it, I'll take the floor."

Bitty hangs his head and sighs in defeat. "Fine, we'll share the bed," he says, trying to hide his blush. "I'm going to change." He stands up, grabs his clothes, and rushes to the bathroom. Usually he sleeps in just boxers, but he opts for shorts and an undershirt tonight. When he comes back, he knocks on the door lightly. "Are you decent?"

"Yeah," Jack answers, and Bitty enters, closing the door behind him. "I don't understand why it matters though. We shared a locker room for two years, Bittle."

Jack is just wearing a pair of pajama bottoms, and Bitty forces himself not to stare at his bare chest. He putters around the room instead, rolling the sleeping bag back up, and shrugs. "That's different." Bitty's glad Jack doesn't ask how it could be different, because he's not sure he could explain even if he wanted to.

When he's done, Bitty stands back up, hands on his hips, and Jack motions toward the bed. Bitty flips off the light switch and fumbles back, hands out to find the bed. He crawls as far over as he comfortably can and faces the wall. He feels the bed shift as Jack climbs in and pulls the covers over them and forces himself to breathe evenly.

It takes a long time to fall asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Jack wakes up and stretches, surprised when his elbow bumps something. It takes him a moment to remember that he's at Bittle's house, in Bittle's bed. He glances over to make sure that he didn't hurt the other boy, and freezes. Bits is still asleep, curled up facing Jack, hands tucked beneath his chin. The first rays of sunlight fall over him, making a halo of his hair. Jack sits up and swings his legs off the bed but can't quite bring himself to look away.

Sometime later, Bitty blinks awake slowly, yawning and rubbing his eyes. When he brings his hands down, their eyes meet, and Jack jolts. "I was just about to go for my jog," he answers, though Bittle hasn't said a word.

"I would have thought you'd be gone and back by now. You're usually up so early," the blonde says.

Jack glances at the clock. Eight. He just shrugs. He has no excuse for how badly he'd lost track of time.

"I'll come with, if you want."

"Sure."

"Okay, just give me a few minutes." Jack expects Bittle to get up and get ready, but he doesn't move. He rolls his shoulders, humming contentedly, and closes his eyes. They open again after a few seconds and he says, "On second thought, maybe I'll stay right here. I'm tired and warm."

With the smaller boy smiling at him, bleary-eyed, Jack's tempted to just let him be. He also knows exactly what Bittle expects him to do, though. He decides to follow the script.

"Up," he says, standing and pulling the covers with him. "I'm sure you haven't been getting up to practice all summer. Let's go."

Bittle makes a half-hearted grab for the blanket but laughs. He sits up after a minute and waves Jack away. "Alright already, I'm up!" He grabs his clothes and goes to change in the bathroom again, then waits for Jack at the front door.

They slip on their shoes and head out. Jack doesn't bother to restrain the amused smile when he finally looks at Bittle a few minutes into their run. "What?" he asks suspiciously.

"Your hair."

Bittle's hands fly up to smooth it and he groans. "Well excuse me for thinking that I didn't need to do my hair before exercising at 8am," he says defensively.

Jack shakes his head. "It's cute." He doesn't say the rest of his thought aloud, but Bittle blushes anyways.

"Stop chirping me, Jack," he says. Jack doesn't bother to tell him that it was a genuine compliment.

They fall into a comfortable silence for the rest of the run, the only sounds their light panting and Bittle's occasional directions.

When it's over, they step through the door to the smell of bacon cooking. Bits grins and leads Jack into the kitchen. Suzanne turns around when she hears them and gives her son's shoes a meaningful look. He gives her a sheepish smile, then goes back to the entrance, pulling Jack along by his sleeve. They remove their shoes and put them on a rack by the door before returning.

Mrs. Bittle checks their feet and gives a satisfied nod. "I made breakfast," she says cheerfully. She gets a few plates out of the cupboard but looks to Jack worriedly. "Do you like eggs and bacon, dear?"

"That sounds perfect," he says with a reassuring smile. Bittle giggles, but when Jack raises a confused eyebrow at him, he goes silent and shakes his head. Jack knows how to read him by now and understands that he'll get an explanation later.

Mrs. Bittle dishes them up and they all sit at the table. She makes small talk with Jack, asking how his summer's been and whether he's looking forward to hockey season. When she's done eating, she washes her plate and excuses herself, leaving the boys alone.

Jack immediately turns to Bittle, waiting to hear why he'd laughed before, but he just starts laughing again. It lasts much longer this time, and when he eventually stops, he just smirks at Jack. "You've been oozing charm all over my mother," he says. "If you acted like that around everyone, people would just think you were polite and not a robot."

"I want to make a good impression," Jack says simply.

"Jack, she already loves you," Bittle says disbelievingly. "She wouldn't have asked you to come all the way to Georgia if she didn't."

Jack opts to finish eating rather than answer. Bittle doesn't need to know that his mom had asked Jack to come because he'd been acting lonely and depressed since he came home. Apparently she thought his friends from Samwell were closer than any he had here.

They go silent for a few minutes, until Bittle suddenly gasps and runs out of the room. Jack raises an eyebrow, slightly annoyed, when he returns with his cell phone.

"Just wait a second. I have a good reason for checking my phone. I just remembered something." He taps the screen a few times, and then holds it in Jack's face with a triumphant smile.

Jack takes it and reads everything on the screen. It's the Samwell Men's Hockey group chat.

 _Chowder: Jack's at your house?!_

 _Rans: Is that where you've been hiding all summer, Jack?_

 _Holster: He loves Bitty more than the rest of us. :'(_

 _Nursey: Nice pic. Btw, Poindexter says he misses you ;)_

 _Dex: What are you talking about? We aren't even in the same state!_

 _Dex: …Maybe I do miss you a little, though. We all do._

 _Shitty: Damn! Look at that beaut! I swear you get more gorgeous every time I see you!_

 _Shitty: Your mother looks lovely, too, Bits. Tell her I said hello._

 _Shitty: And you both owe me a call._

Jack looks back up to Bittle, who's smiling and turning just a bit pink. "I knew they'd like the picture." When Jack doesn't answer, throat closing up, Bittle asks softly, "Do you want to Skype them?"

Jack nods, and Bittle takes his phone back, typing out, Will do. Anyone who wants to, hop online. The first replies are nearly instantaneous.

 _Shitty: Already there, bro._

 _Rans: Wish I could. Not home rn. ):_

 _Holster: Just give me a few min._

 _Chowder: Oh nooo! I'm gonna miss it!_

Bittle checks the messages and then hands the phone back for Jack to read while he gets his laptop.

 _Bitty: Don't worry about it. We'll do this again another day, when everyone's available. -Jack_

Bittle returns, sets the laptop on the table, and opens up Skype. They slide their chairs together, shoulders bumping, so they can both fit into the view of the webcam. They wait until Holster is online, then Bittle adds him and Shitty to a conference call. Though he hadn't replied to the text, Dex is online too and joins when they invite him.

They all greet each other, and Shitty once again rants over how amazing Jack looks. Jack just rolls his eyes with a tiny smile but looks concerned when Shitty starts winding down. His smile shrinks and it looks like he's tearing up when he says, "I miss you, bro."

"I'll visit. As soon as I can," Jack promises.

Shitty nods, but his smile still doesn't reach his eyes. Bitty opens his mouth to try to cheer him up, but freezes when a hand pops into frame and punches Shitty's shoulder. He looks off to the side, smiles for real, and pulls someone into the shot.

"Lardo?!" Bittle asks disbelievingly. He recovers quickly, though. "Well, hey there! Why didn't you tell us she was there, Shitty? We've missed her, too!"

"The one and only," Lardo answers. "I didn't want to interrupt bro time, but if you're alright with me being here…" She trails off, smiling at Shitty for a moment before kissing him.

Dex gasps, and everyone else laughs.

"You didn't see that coming?" Holster asks skeptically. "We've all known for ages that Shits is head over heels for her." The man in question flushes but doesn't respond.

"Of course I knew they liked each other!" Dex answers defensively. "I just didn't think they'd ever get their shit together."

"Uh, we're right here, guys…" Lardo says, rubbing the back of her neck and laughing awkwardly.

"I didn't think you would either," Jack says with a smirk.

"Well, I for one am happy for you two," Bittle says, beaming at them.

"We all are," Holster says. "Took way too long, though. You deserve the chirping."

Shitty narrows his eyes. "You're one to talk-"

"Shut up!" Holster cuts him off, flushing. "You swore you wouldn't tell anyone!"

Bittle giggles. "Oh? What's this about?" he asks, though he has a sneaking suspicion he already knows.

"Nothing," Holster says firmly before Shitty can answer.

Before Bittle can push any more, his mother walks in. She crosses to a cabinet behind them and glances at the screen. "Oh, is that Mr. Crappy?" she asks, coming closer and waving. "And Adam and William, too! Hello, boys!"

"Hello, Mrs. Bittle," they chorus.

"Nice to see you again, ma'am," Shitty says. "You're looking beautiful as usual."

"Why thank you, Mr. Crappy," she says, turning red but smiling. She glances at her son and Jack quickly. "Well, I'll let you boys get back to your conversation," she says, getting a glass of water before bustling out of the room.

"Jeez, what is it with you guys flirting with my mom?" Bittle jokes.

"Who else is?" Shitty asks.

Bittle turns to Jack, raising his eyebrows pointedly, and Shitty howls with laughter. When he calms down, he grabs his phone and types out a message. Jack's phone dings, and Bittle glances between them but doesn't pry.

Jack shoots an annoyed look at Shitty before checking the text. _You're hitting on the wrong Bittle_ , he reads. He quickly deletes it and glares at the laptop screen again. Shitty shows his phone to Lardo, and they shoot him matching smirks.

"Are we missing something?" Holster asks. Bitty nods, wondering the same thing.

Shitty chuckles. "Nothing, nothing," he says, waving a dismissive hand. He sounds anything but truthful.

"If you say so…" Holster says dubiously.

An obnoxious ringtone starts, and Dex scowls at his phone for a moment before answering. "What do you want?" he asks. He looks to his webcam apologetically and types, _Sorry guys, I have to go_. A moment later, he's offline.

"I can guess who that call was from," Lardo says.

"Yeah, only one person could possibly annoy him that much before even saying a word," Holster says, laughing.

"Do you think Nursey changed his ringtone at some point?" Bittle asks. "I get the feeling Dex would just use the defaults."

"Probably," Shitty answers.

Jack stares blankly. "You can change them?" he asks. He fights back his smile when Bittle laughs.

"That reminds me," Holster says. "Have you gotten any farther with training him in pop culture?"

"He hasn't even been here for a whole day. How could I have done anything in that time? It would take a whole lifetime!" Bittle answers. He smirks and bump Jack with his elbow. Jack just shrugs. "Oh, actually… Now that I think of it, how long are you here?"

"Your mom invited me to stay for a week, but if-"

Bittle cuts him off when Jack starts to look uncomfortable. "No! No, that's great," he says with a reassuring smile.

Shitty coughs. They turn back, and he does a horrible job of hiding his grin. "Well, we should probably get going," he says with a sigh.

Bittle glances up when his mom returns, gathering pans and ingredients on the counter. "We should, too," he says. "Time to help with food for the party."

They say their goodbyes, Shitty once again making Jack swear that he'll visit soon, and Bittle shuts down the laptop and returns it to his desk.

Jack stands awkwardly, watching Bittle and his mother as they prepare the meal and desserts. "Mrs. Bittle-" he starts, but she gives him a stern look. He sighs. "Suzanne-"

He's cut off again, this time by his friend's startled laughter. Bittle quiets when the other two shoot him quick glares, and Jack tries one more time. "Suzanne, is there anything I can do to help? I feel useless just watching you."

She looks to Bittle, who shrugs. "You can help with these pies," he says. "You do remember how to make the lattice, right?"

Jack nods and sets to work on the first pie while the other boy adds filling to the second. He focuses on trying to get it right, and by the time he's finished both, the other two have finished almost everything else.

He stands back and clears his throat, and Suzanne hurries over. "Oh, are they ready for the oven? You did very well, Jack. Thank you for helping."

Jack looks at his sad excuse for lattice work and wants to object. He's seen Bittle's pies; he knows how they're supposed to look, and that isn't it. Instead of speaking his mind, he just thanks her. She throws them into the oven and goes back to helping her son with the final dishes.

When they finish and everything is cooking or cooling, Bittle leads him out to the backyard. "The party will be in a few hours," he says, sitting on the porch steps. "A lot of my family will be here, so you can bail if you want. I think I would if I could get away with it."

Jack shakes his head. "It's fine. I'd like to meet more of your family."

"You say that now…" He trails off, laughing, and elbows Jack jokingly. "Well, at least we know the food will be good, right? Oh! And we'll do fireworks after the sun goes down!"

"That sounds nice."

"Always so enthusiastic," Bittle says sarcastically.

"I'm serious."

"I know. You sound like a robot, but I know by now when you're being genuine. Doesn't mean I can't tease you for it."

Jack lets out a small laugh and leans back on his hands. Bittle leans against the rail next to him, eyes drooping. "Was the jog too early for you?"

He shakes his head. "Practice is way earlier. I'm just not used to that schedule when I'm at home. I'm fine, though."

 _He says that, but…_ Within minutes, he's dozed off. It looks uncomfortable, but Jack lets him sleep until Suzanne comes out and tells them to get ready.

"Bittle…" he says quietly. He waits for a moment, then gently pushes his shoulder. "Eric, wake up."

Bittle blinks and sits up straight, shaking his head. "Did you just…?" he doesn't finish his question, but he gives Jack a confused look for a minute. When Jack doesn't answer, he sighs and stands up. "I guess I should get ready for the party."

...

Though their yard is filled with people, Bittle sticks near Jack. When a woman waves for Bittle and he motions her over instead of going to talk to her, Jack shoots him a grateful look. He may have been looking forward to meeting people, but the thought of being left on his own here makes him uncomfortable.

The woman, a short brunette, makes her way over. She's holding a plate in one hand and brandishing a fork at Bittle with the other. "Did you make this casserole, Eric?" He nods, and she sets the fork on her plate to ruffle his hair. "Well, it's delicious!"

"I learned from the best!" he says, grinning over at his mother and smoothing his hair back down.

Jack coughs to cover up a laugh, and the woman turns to him. She looks him up and down. For a reason he can't quite place, it makes him uneasy. It's over soon enough, though, and she throws on a plastic smile. "Well then, who's your… friend?"

Suddenly, Bittle's smile looks fake and frail, too. "Aunty, this is Jack. He's a friend from Samwell. Jack, this is my aunt Grace."

"Nice to meet you," they say simultaneously. Then they shake hands, and Grace makes her excuses and wanders off.

"What was that about?" Jack asks.

"Oh, it's nothing," Bittle insists. He takes a deep breath, and then his smile grows back into what Jack is used to seeing from him. "What was that laugh about, though? You keep laughing at me lately, and I don't even know why!" he accuses, poking Jack in the chest.

"Did you know that your accent gets thicker here? It was especially strong when you were talking to your aunt," Jack answers.

Bittle scowls and blushes. "It's easy to fall back into old habits," he mutters.

 _Right, Bittle's self-conscious about his accent…_ Jack remembers. "It's not a bad thing," he hurries to reassure him. Bitty just rolls his eyes, clearly not believing him. "Really, it's not."

"Maybe not to you…"

Jack decides to shut his mouth before he can stick his foot in it again.

...

Bittle slowly relaxes again as the party goes on, and he introduces Jack to a few more family members. People start filing out after a couple of hours, and only Jack, Bittle, and his parents are left when it's time to start lighting the fireworks.

They sit side by side on the porch again, though Coach (Jack still doesn't know his actual name) occasionally invites them to light some off. Bittle's face lights up every time a big one bursts into beautiful colors. Jack bumps their shoulders together. "This is nice."

"Yeah, it is," Bittle agrees, turning that brilliant smile on him.

Jack thinks he might go blind.

He thinks he might kiss him.

He takes a deep breath and turns his face back to the sky instead.

...

Bittle argues about the sleeping arrangements again that night, but it's just for show. He gives in quickly.

Jack feels the warmth radiating from Bitty's skin and listens to his breathing, and he falls into a comfortable sleep quickly.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: And here's where I admit that I know next to nothing about figure skating, and that I have no idea if "Sweet Dreams" would be decent for it. But I really wanted him skating to Beyonce, okay? ...Sorry.

...

When Bitty wakes up in the morning, Jack is sitting on the floor, reading what looks like a book about war. "Did you already go running?" he asks, eyes half-open.

Jack jolts and closes his book, nodding.

"Sorry I didn't wake up."

Jack shrugs. "I didn't try to wake you. We were up pretty late last night; I thought you might need the sleep."

"Thanks," Bitty says with a small smile. He watches the other boy quietly for a minute before sitting up suddenly. "Oh!"

Jack hums in question and Bitty rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but… We actually do have a rink nearby, if you want to go practice."

"You do?"

"I did hockey and figure skating here, too, remember? Where else would I have gone?"

"Right. That sounds good." Jack pauses, frowning. "I didn't bring my skates."

"Oh." Bitty's smile falls. "Well, that's okay. I'm sure we can find something else to do."

"Let's go."

Bitty looks to Jack, eyebrows scrunched in confusion. "But you just said-"

"I want to see one of your routines."

He flushes. "W-well… It's been a while. I'm not even sure I remember any full routines, and I'm not that great. It's not really worth making a special trip for."

"Bittle," Jack says seriously. "I've seen you doing jumps and spins before. I know you're good. You can just show me whatever you remember."

Somehow, Bitty turns an even brighter shade of red. "Uh, i-if you're sure," he says, hands clenching his blanket.

"I am."

...

"Well, here we are," Bitty says as they step out of the locker room. "I still can't believe you convinced me to wear this…" he mutters, looking down at his old figure skating outfit.

"Might as well go all out, right?" Jack says, trying to hide his smirk. "I'm just surprised it wasn't reserved. And that you convinced them to let you play your music."

Bitty shrugs. "I've known the owners since I was little, and it's the middle of summer so there aren't teams meeting or anything." He puts on his skates and steps out onto the ice. "Are you really sure you want to see this?" He tries one more time. He's never really been embarrassed about skating before; he's not sure why it's bothering him so much now.

Jack nods and starts the music before Bittle can protest anymore. Of course, it's Beyoncé. He's heard this one blaring from across the hall at the Haus more times than he can count… "Sweet Dreams" is probably the title?

He leans in the entrance to the ice and watches Bitty fly and twirl around the rink. It's faster paced than he expected, but the other boy never misses a beat. It's obvious when he lets go of his nerves; he loosens up and focuses on the music and the routine, his movements flowing and looking more natural.

When the song ends, Bitty barely seems to notice. The next song on his playlist starts, and he just goes along with it, making up the moves as he goes. Jack smiles and doesn't say a word.

...

Bitty makes his way back when he finally starts to get tired, smiling apologetically. "Sorry, I guess I was out there a little longer than expected. I kind of forgot I had an audience," he says with a laugh.

Jack tilts his head, watching him curiously. After a moment, he says, "You miss it, don't you?" It's more of a statement than a question.

Bitty shrugs with a sad smile. "Of course I do. I love hockey, but… This was a huge part of my life." He hesitates, embarrassed, but says, "It's always been one of my passions."

"I've seen you with your baking," Jack says, a slight teasing lilt to his voice. "You aren't one to give up on your passions. So why don't you skate anymore?"

He laughs, but it comes out bitter. He thinks of Coach, and of his own fears of being found out or of being a disappointment. He settles for another shrug instead of answering.

Jack considers pushing but decides against it. "Well, you should. You were great out there. I'm sure the team would love to see it, too."

"Thanks, Jack," Bitty says, smile brightening a bit. He considers it, thinking about the guys asking him to show them jumps, and about how accepting they've been about everything else. Maybe it would be safe, at Samwell. Maybe he wouldn't be outcast. Maybe they'd even enjoy it.

It's hard to let go of his fears, though. Maybe it's a decision for another day.

"Want to go again?" Jack asks, motioning his head towards the rink.

Bitty shakes his head. "I'm exhausted."

"Alright. Are you ready to go home, then?"

A little thrill runs through Bitty when Jack says "home," even though he knows that he only meant it's _his_ home. He tucks the feeling away. "Sure."

...

They walk side by side the whole way. When their hands bump, neither of them makes a move to grab the other's.

They don't move away, either.

...

Bittle doesn't put up a fight about sharing the bed.

This time, they face each other, talking quietly until he drifts off. Jack watches his peaceful face for a few minutes before closing his own eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I'll be honest; I hate most of this chapter. It's OOC and was a pain to write, but I did the best I could to fix it. Sorry.

Also, I based the town off my own because I don't know the specifics of where Bitty lives and it helped certain parts of the plot and dialogue to imagine that it's a boring small town. Yes, I cheated. Kind of. :P

...

Bitty sighs, and Jack glances up at him. He's sitting slumped over with his chin resting in one hand. The fingers of his other hand are tapping impatiently on the table.

"What's wrong?" Jack asks.

Bitty shrugs, sighing again. "I just don't know what to do. You're only here for one week; I feel like we should be spending every day doing something interesting or unique."

Jack thinks for a minute. "Well, I haven't had a tour of the town yet…" he suggests.

The blond makes a face but nods in agreement. "Alright. There isn't a whole lot, but… If that's what you want to do."

...

"Well, this is the main street," Bitty says, throwing his arms up to gesture around him grandly. "We've got a bank, a few restaurants, a thrift store, and… three bars." He rolls his eyes at this and laughs.

Jack chuckles, too, but most of his attention is elsewhere. He points to a little café across the street. "Hey, Bittle… Do you want to go on a coffee date?"

Bitty sputters for a moment and tries to laugh it off. "Jack, you really need to think about your wording more. I mean, I know you, so I get it, but… Someone else might misunderstand and think-"

"Bitty." Jack cuts him off, smiling fondly at the other boy's rambling and blushing. "Do you want to go on a coffee _date_ with me?" he repeats.

He freezes, mouth still half-open. "…Oh," he says after a moment. Jack grins, and Bitty's pretty sure his heart has stopped. He resists the urge to check. "Sure," he forces out finally, grateful it doesn't come out as a squeak.

"Great."

...

When they get inside, Jack gestures for Bitty to sit down and gets into line. He comes back a few minutes later and hands over a cup, sitting down across from him.

Bitty takes a sip. Pumpkin Spice Latte. He takes another drink to hide his smile. "So, umm…" He trails off. _We talk all the time. Why is it suddenly so hard to think of something to say?_

"Did I get it right?"

Bitty tilts his head, making a small noise of confusion. Jack points to the cup to clarify.

"Oh. Yeah. It's perfect," Bitty answers, not bothering to hide his grin this time. "Thanks, Jack."

Jack sits back, a small but proud smile on his face. Bitty looks away, one hand clutching his coffee and the other tapping awkwardly on the table.

"Go ahead," Jack says, chuckling.

"What?"

"You want to tweet, right? Go ahead."

Bitty hesitates. He _does_ , but not because he wants to miss a single moment of this. He just needs something to do with his stupid shaky hands. And he kind of wants to scream to the world that he's on an actual date with Jack Zimmerman. That's definitely the kind of thing that his followers would want to hear about.

He pulls out his phone and opens the Twitter app, then pauses. Could tweeting about it get Jack into trouble with the Falconers or make the media say even worse things about him than they already do?

Bitty settles for hurriedly typing out, _oh my gosh y'all won't ever believe what happened today!_

He slides his phone back into his pocket. He'll figure out whether he's actually allowed to tell them about it later. He rests his hands back on the table and watches Jack expectantly. When he doesn't say anything, Bitty raises an eyebrow. "What, no chirps?"

Jack just shakes his head. His smirk says it all for him.

They fall back into silence and Bitty glances around nervously, once again stuck trying to think of something to say. Yet again, Jack saves him. "I think I want to get some pictures of the town. The camera's in my suitcase, though. Can we come back tomorrow?"

"Oh, sure," Bitty says, surprised. He tries to see the place where he grew up from Jack's perspective. _I guess there's a certain small-town charm_ , he thinks doubtfully. "I'll admit I don't really understand what could possibly be that interesting here, but I'd be glad to come out with you again tomorrow."

Suddenly Jack slides his hand over Bitty's, making him jump. "Thanks. That park we passed was really nice," he says, and starts rambling about all the photographs he wants to get before he leaves.

Jack's casualness calms Bitty, and he flips his own hand over to squeeze Jack's. The smile he gets in response makes his heart skip a beat, but he ignores it in favor of the conversation and coffee.

...

 _It's so… normal_ , Bitty muses as they leave the café. Once he lost his nerves, everything had been just the same as every time they'd gone to Annie's together over the last year. He's starting to think that maybe that's the idea. That maybe Jack was trying to make a point to him.

Except… Well, this is new. Jack stepping up beside him and interlocking their fingers as they start the walk home. The rush of giddiness that runs through him.

But also… The rush of terror.

Bitty squeezes Jack's hand tightly and then slips his hand away, shoving it in his pocket. He sends him a sad, apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Jack… It's just… I… Coach…" Bitty stops, takes a deep breath, and tries to get his thoughts out in a coherent sentence. "If Coach or anyone who knows him saw us-"

"It's okay, Bitty," Jack says sincerely. "I get it."

"I'm sorry," he says again in a small voice.

"It's okay."

They walk back in silence, standing close enough that their arms bump every few steps.

It doesn't sound like anyone else is home when they arrive, but Jack waits until they're safely in Bitty's room with the door closed before he says anything, just in case.

"I walked you home. Do I get a goodnight kiss?" He's trying to be smooth, but Bitty can see the slight blush on his cheeks and the nervousness in his smile.

"Of course," Bitty says. Jack's eyes light up in surprise, but he can't help but tease. "But it's not night yet." Jack blinks, glancing at the sun shining through the window, and Bitty laughs. He steps forward, grabbing Jack's hands, and presses a quick kiss to his cheek.

Before Jack can really even process what's happened, Bitty darts away with another bright laugh. "C'mon, let's go downstairs," he says, already halfway out the door.

Jack stares after him for a minute, bemused, before following. "What are we doing now?"

"I want to bake," Bitty says, grinning.

"I should have guessed."

"Yes, you should have." He turns the oven on to preheat and starts gathering ingredients. He's stretching for brown sugar on the top shelf when a thought pops into his head again. He turns to mention it to Jack, but nearly runs into him. Jack hands the bag down to him, and Bitty takes it before stepping back with a small cough. "Thanks."

Jack just nods. When Bitty continues to stare at him without saying anything, he asks, "Did you need something else?"

"Oh, right! Umm… Well, not really, but I do have a question…"

"Yeah?"

"Can I… tell people? I mean, you're going into the NHL now, and… That would probably be bad, right? I don't want to cause you even more trouble. Those announcers are already terrible enough…"

Jack claps a hand on his shoulder and waits until Bitty looks him in the eyes to speak. "Eric," he starts, looking like he's testing how the name sounds, how it feels.

Bitty jumps, feeling blood rush to his face. "Yeah?" he asks, mentally scolding himself for blushing. _It's just my_ name, _for goodness sake!_

Jack watches him carefully. "I don't care about any of that. Tell whoever you want." He gives him a small smile and admits, "I kind of like the idea of everyone knowing."

Well, if he hadn't already been blushing, he certainly would be now. Bitty hurriedly turns around to grab a mixing bowl, stammering out, "O-oh, that's… That's good." He immerses himself in preparing the pie, hiding his red face and ridiculous grin from Jack.

Once he puts it in the oven, Bitty pulls out his phone. He wonders again whether it's really a good idea, but… If Jack is really okay with it… He opens twitter and looks through the replies he's gotten, all people excitedly asking what happened. A few of them seem to already have some ideas, which makes him wonder if maybe he hasn't been as subtle as he thought. Instead of answering all of them separately, he sends out one general tweet. _Jack and I went on a date!_

"Are you going to tell the team, too?" Jack asks from right behind him, chuckling when Bitty nearly jumps a foot in the air.

"Uh, I… I hadn't really thought about it," he lies. He had, but he couldn't decide if that was a good idea either. "Do you want me to?"

"Sure," he answers, still smiling.

"Okay." Bitty sends out a quick message in the group chat, then puts his phone away with his heart in his throat. He's not sure he's ready to see what they say about it yet.

Jack ruins his plan to ignore the replies a while later, though. "Have they said anything?" He's wearing a secretive smile, like he already knows how everyone will react.

"You're still in the group chat, too. Why don't you check?" Bitty snaps. Jack just watches him, waiting, until he eventually sighs and gives in. "…Oh."

"Oh?" Jack questions.

Bitty blushes. "Umm… It's basically all variations of 'finally'… Did you tell anyone…?"

He shakes his head. "Only Shitty. I guess he told Lardo, but that's it."

"Oh. I told Lardo, too." He _really_ must not have been as subtle as he thought if everyone else had already figured it out on their own.

Jack steps up behind Bitty and wraps his arms around him. His heart races, but after a few seconds, he relaxes back against Jack. Every little thing makes him nervous, but at the same time, it's so comforting and so easy to get used to. He lets himself enjoy it for a few minutes before pulling away.

"Will your parents be home soon?" Jack asks, sitting back down.

There's no hint of judgement in his voice, but Bitty still feels guilty. He shrugs and opens the oven. "Probably. But I mostly just need to make sure this pie doesn't burn," he says. Jack laughs, and he grins to himself.

He sets the dish on the counter to cool, nearly dropping it when he hears the door open.

"Do I smell pie?" his mother calls from the entrance.

"You do!" Bitty answers. When she walks into the kitchen, dropping a few grocery bags onto the counter, he gives her a smile that feels too wide, too fake.

He feels like it's written all over his face.

She doesn't say anything to hint that she knows.

"It looks great, sweetie," she says, ruffling his hair. He helps her put everything away, and Jack joins in after a minute. The boy is utterly incapable of sitting still while anyone else is doing even the slightest bit of work.

"We're going upstairs," Bitty says when they finish. He practically drags Jack up the stairs. When they get to his room, he closes the door and leans back against it, exhaling loudly.

Jack moves closer, tentatively rubbing his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Bitty nods, swallowing, and sits down on the bed. "I don't think I've ever been that scared in my life," he says, and he doesn't even think it's an exaggeration.

"What's wrong?"

"I thought she would just… _know_ , somehow. I know it doesn't make sense."

"Would it really be that terrible if she found out?" Jack asks worriedly.

Bitty thinks about it seriously for a minute, then shakes his head. "I don't think so. It's Coach I'm really worried about."

"Would she tell him?"

"I don't know. I guess I just have to hope not, because… I can't keep this from her. I'm terrible at keeping secrets from my mom, and I don't _want_ to. It was one thing when I was single, but…" A thought crosses his mind and he cuts himself off, embarrassed. "Umm… We are together now, right?" He had just assumed, but… One _date_ didn't necessarily mean dat _ing_.

Jack gives him a small, amused smile. "As long as you want to."

Bitty smiles back, relieved. "I do."

"So, you want to tell her…?" Jack questions, prompting him to continue.

He takes a deep breath and nods. "I'll have to. I really do think _she'll_ be okay with it, at least."

"Okay." Jack places a comforting hand on his back. "I'm here if you need me."

"I'm not ready yet," Bitty rushes out. "Soon, but not now. In a few days maybe."

"Okay."

Bitty leans against Jack, who moves his arm to wrap around his shoulders, and just tries to calm down for a while.

...

When they go to bed that night, Bitty watches Jack silently for a few minutes, gathering his courage. Finally, he leans forward and presses his lips to Jack's, keeping them there just long enough to feel him start to kiss back. He pulls away, sliding back to his side of the bed.

"Goodnight," he whispers, smiling gently and seeing it mirrored on Jack's face.

"Goodnight, Eric."


	5. Chapter 5

Jack wakes Bitty up early the next morning. Bitty can see the excitement in his eyes and goes without complaint.

They go for a jog first, and when they get back, Bitty admits, "I should be keeping up with the exercising. I don't know why I never want to; I feel so much better afterwards."

Jack shrugs. "It's natural to prefer crawling into a warm bed over going for a run. It's easier when you make it a habit, though."

Bitty just nods and gathers a change of clothes. They take turns showering, Jack going first. When Bitty comes back to the room, scrubbing a towel over his hair, Jack is sitting on the bed, waiting eagerly with his camera out. The blond smiles fondly and tosses the towel into his hamper. He shoves down his nerves and leans over to kiss Jack. "Let's go."

Walking down the street, Bitty wants so badly to reach over and take Jack's hand. His own hands are practically twitching, and he checks his phone just to have something to do with them. The reaction from his Twitter followers was pretty similar to the reaction from his teammates, though he also has about 50 notifications from people who want more details. He smirks down at the screen as he types out a reply. _Sorry everyone, but a gentleman doesn't kiss and tell ;)_

A soft click catches Bitty's attention, and he looks up just in time to see the camera aimed at him. Jack lowers it quickly, but he's already been caught.

Bitty raises an eyebrow at him. Jack just shrugs, and he decides to let it go without comment.

When they arrive at the park, Jack walks quickly to the little pond, snapping picture after picture of the ducks. Bitty kneels on the grass, gesturing at the ducks and making little cooing noises. A few swim towards him, but they stay out of reach. His focus remains on trying to get them to come closer until he hears the sound of the shutter again.

The camera is once again trained on him. "…Ducks," Jack explains, looking vaguely guilty.

Bitty doesn't buy it for a second, but once again decides against questioning him.

Jack turns away, looking towards the swings and the merry-go-round. "I don't know how I can get good pictures without all the kids ending up in them," he complains. He pauses for a moment, then asks, "There are laws about that, right? Taking pictures of someone without their permission?"

"Probably," Bitty agrees, patting his arm apologetically. "Especially if they're children."

They decide to leave the park, wandering aimlessly while Jack takes photos of the scenery instead.

The third time it happens, Bitty is leaning to pick a four-leaf clover. He looks to the sky and finally asks, "Okay, Jack, why do you keep taking pictures of me?"

"It's just… You look really happy," Jack says sheepishly, annoyed with his inability to find the right words to explain himself.

"Of course I'm happy," Bitty says. He blushes and shuts his mouth before he can say anything sickeningly sappy.

They settle back into silence while they walk through some of the empty parts of town. Jack takes pictures of trees and abandoned buildings and animals, but resists taking any more of Bitty now that he's really been caught out. They eventually loop around and end up back at the house.

They head for Bitty's room, and he locks the door before sitting down next to Jack on the bed. "You'll have to show me those pictures when they're ready." He wonders if maybe they'll show him what makes this little town so fascinating to Jack. Maybe they'll paint an entirely different picture than what he sees.

Jack nods, and Bitty leans to kiss him. An arm wraps around his waist, and his own hands go to Jack's neck and bicep. He licks at Jack's lips, pushing the kiss further. They stay like that for a while until Bitty has to pull away, trying not to gasp for air. He turns bright red and looks to his bedroom floor, but he's grinning.

He moves away a bit, lowering his hand to intertwine with Jack's. He isn't particularly surprised or upset when he hears the 'snap!' of the camera.

...

When Bitty crawls into bed that night, Jack curls up behind him and wraps an arm around his waist. He relaxes into the warmth of Jack's hold and falls asleep with a smile still on his face.


	6. Chapter 6

Surprisingly, Bitty wakes up before Jack. He watches him for a few minutes, lost in thought, before cupping his cheek and pressing a light kiss to his forehead. As he expected, Jack is an incredibly light sleeper; he wakes up instantly at the touch with a jolt. He relaxes when he sees Bitty.

"Good morning," Jack says with a smile, sounding slightly surprised.

"Good morning," Bitty returns. He debates with himself for a few more moments before letting out a deep breath. "I think I'm going to tell my mom today."

Jack sits up, gripping Bitty's hand. "Okay. Do you want me to be there?"

Bitty sits up as well and shakes his head. "Can you just stay in here? I want to talk to her alone, but… It would be nice to know you're nearby." He tries to tell himself that this isn't a big deal and he'll be perfectly fine, but his voice is shaking. He's terrified.

"Of course."

"Thank you." Bitty gives him a quick kiss before climbing out of bed. "Let's have breakfast first?"

"Sure."

...

The door is partially open, but Bitty knocks anyway. "Mom?"

She glances up from her book and gestures him in. He sits down on the bed next to her, perching on the edge. He grips his knees and stares at the floor, trying to gather his thoughts. He's practiced this speech in his head a million times, but he can't remember any of it now.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" she asks, covering one of his hands with her own.

Bitty gulps. Of course she would be able to tell instantly. "Mom, I-" he stops, trying to swallow past the lump in his throat.

She scoots closer, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pressing a kiss to the top of his head. "What is it?" she asks, and suddenly he's hugging her and crying into her chest. She just grips him tighter and waits until he's ready to talk.

He thought he was. He thought he had it all planned out. He thought he would be able to block his emotions, at least long enough to force the words out. He thought he'd convinced himself that she would take it well, that they would be okay.

But he's spent so many years building up to this moment and yet thinking that it would never come, that it suddenly feels like the world is crashing down around him. He doubts it will stop even if she does react well. And he's so fucking scared.

Bitty clutches to the back of his mother's shirt and takes one deep breath, then another. A sob forces its way out anyways. He focuses on his breathing until he stops crying and thinks he can speak. Then he pushes away and turns his gaze back to the ground. He can't look at her.

"I'm so sorry, Mama."

That wasn't what he meant to say at all.

He's never wanted to apologize for who he is. But he's never wanted to disappoint her, either.

"For what? Whatever it is, it's okay. We'll get through it, baby. It's okay." She runs a soothing hand over his hair, pulling him close to kiss his head again. The tears start flowing again at her gentleness.

"I'm gay," he rushes out, and he can't hear her reaction over the sound of his own pulse pounding in his ears.

When he can hear again, she's saying "—that all? Oh, sweetie, it's okay. Please stop crying…" She hugs him tight again, and he can feel her tears now, too.

"I'm sorry, Mama," he says again, burying his face in her shoulder.

"Baby, shh, shh, it's okay. There's nothing to be sorry for. You know I love you no matter what, right?"

Bitty nods into her shirt. He does. But fear was never rational.

She pushes him away just a bit, cupping his cheek and forcing him to look her in the eye. "I love you," she repeats.

"I love you, too," he says, voice shaking.

"I wondered," she admits. "But I didn't want to say anything. I wanted to wait until you were ready to tell me. Especially since I wasn't sure."

"Really?"

She hums a confirmation. "So, why now? Are you seeing someone?"

Bitty blushes and averts his eyes. "Um, actually… Yeah."

"Can I ask who it is? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"W-well…" Bitty stutters, unsure whether he should tell her just yet.

Sensing his hesitation, she questions softly, "Is it Jack?"

"Huh?" Bitty blinks at her in surprise. "How did you know?"

She laughs. "Call it a mother's intuition."

"Well, yeah… It's Jack," he confirms.

"How long have you two been dating?"

"Just a few days."

"Okay," she says, nodding. She side-eyes him with a look that's half mischievous and half genuinely concerned. "I don't need to give you the safe sex talk, do I?"

"Geez, no! Please no!" he exclaims, blush brightening.

"Alright," she says with a chuckle. They sit in silence for few minutes before she asks, "Are you going to tell your father?"

Just when he thought he was starting to calm down, Bitty can hear his heart rate and his breathing speed up again. "I'm not ready. _Please_ don't tell him, Mom."

"I really don't think he'll react that badly."

"Please don't," he repeats, starting to panic.

"I won't. I promise," she soothes, "but he loves you, too, and he'll be okay with it, even if it takes a bit of time."

"I know." He doesn't know.

"You should tell him, when you're ready."

"Maybe eventually," Bitty hedges.

"Alright. I'm so proud of you, baby," she says, hugging him again. Then she pats his back and says, "You should go back to Jack now. Go calm down a bit."

He nods. "Thank you, Mama. I love you." As he leaves the room, he hears her echo the sentiment.

When Bitty gets back into his own room, he collapses onto the bed, sprawling out. He reaches with one hand for Jack, who has been sitting patiently throughout the whole conversation.

Jack obliges, squeezing Bitty's hand and nudging him over so he can lay down, too. "Are you okay?" he asks, wiping over a trail left from the tears.

The blond sighs, staring at the ceiling. "Yeah. It went surprisingly well."

"Then why were you crying?"

He shrugs. "It was just… overwhelming. I think coming out to my mother is the scariest thing I've ever done. If I could face that, I can face getting checked," he jokes, watching Jack's small smile form from the corner of his eye.

"I'm glad it went okay." Jack props himself up on an elbow, leaning over Bitty. He watches him for a minute, and Bitty is shocked to recognize something like awe in his expression. Jack leans down to kiss him. When they part, he looks like he wants to say something, but doesn't.

"Thank you for being here," Bitty says.

"Of course," Jack says, like he couldn't have done anything else. He falls back against the pillows, and they soak in the comfortable silence for a while. Eventually, he asks, "Do you want to go do anything later?"

Bitty lets out a weak laugh. "I think I'm too tired now. Do you mind if we just stay here and relax for today?"

"Of course," Jack says again. They go quiet again, and eventually they fall asleep like that, hands linked over the covers between them.

...

A/N: Honestly, this chapter came almost entirely from my own experience of coming out to my mom as bi, except that:  
1\. I was single, so that changes a few details.  
2\. Since I'm female, my mom's first reaction when I came to her struggling to force the words out was "Oh my god, are you pregnant?"  
So yeah, since I took this from my own situation, I'm sorry if it's OOC or if there's too much crying haha. Coming out is damn stressful.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Here it is, the last chapter aside from the epilogue.

I still can't get used to writing his first name. Bitty is Bitty.

...

They wake up to an alarm clock blaring in the morning. Bitty had set it so they could wake up early and have as much time together as possible.

They go for a jog, Bitty resenting the heavy silence that falls between them. When they reach a deserted trail, he glances around quickly before taking a risk and grabbing Jack's hand. He hesitates, then squeezes it and asks, "Do you _really_ have to leave today?" He already knows the answer, of course, but it doesn't hurt to try.

Jack squeezes back. "I'm sorry." Bitty nods, and they keep running. Eventually, Jack unexpectedly speaks up again. "I'm going to get that apartment. It's less than an hour from Samwell. You'll visit, right?"

Bitty smiles. He kind of likes the way that Jack says it like it isn't really a question. He answers anyways. "Of course."

Jack smiles and nods decisively. "Good."

Bitty gently separates their hands, partially because they're heading into a more populated area and partially because it's difficult to run like this. "So…" He hesitates to say it, as though he can make it false if he doesn't. "What do you want to do on your last day in Georgia?"

His boyfriend looks at him from the corner of his eye with a slight smirk. "I want to watch you skate again?"

"What?" he asks, laughing in disbelief. "It can't be that interesting for you, just standing there and watching me."

"It is," Jack argues. "You're happier when you're skating."

"Well, yeah, I guess…" Bitty admits, "but I still don't see how it's entertaining for _you_."

Instead of answering, Jack asks, "Can I take some pictures?"

The blond blushes. "I-I guess so. If you're sure you don't want to do something else today."

He just gives a satisfied smile.

...

At some point, Bitty has to admit to himself that maybe he's showing off. He's throwing in more moves than were originally in this routine, and making some that already were more complicated.

He's not sure whether he's showing off more for Jack or for the camera. Either way, it has to end eventually. Bitty prolongs it as long as possible, skating until his legs are ready to give out and he's sure there are blisters on his feet. He knows it's a bad idea, but he's having too much fun to quit, and he doesn't have any responsibilities in the near future that might actually require use of his legs.

When he finally has to quit, Bitty glides to the entrance of the rink, beaming at Jack. "How was I?" he asks.

"Great," Jack answers with a smile, even though he knows the other boy is just fishing for compliments.

Bitty sits down on a bench, taking off his skates and wincing as he pushes his feet into his sneakers. Jack gives him a concerned look but doesn't say anything. They make the walk back, Bitty stepping gingerly and Jack sticking close by in case he needs any help.

When they get back to the house, Bitty pokes his head into the living room. "We're here," he says, waving to his parents.

His mom waves back and says, "Great. Don't forget that we have to leave in…" she glances at her watch. "Two hours to drive Jack to the airport."

"Right…" Bitty says, trying to hide his frown. He actually _had_ managed to forget for a while. Jack places a light hand on his elbow, and Bitty forces a smile for him, leading him up to the bedroom. He locks the door and sits on the bed, trying not to pout.

"Stop it," Jack says, a slight teasing lilt to his voice. He tilts Bitty's head up and kisses him. Bitty lets himself sink into it, hand wrapping around the back of Jack's neck to pull him closer. After a few minutes, he pulls away just a bit, resting his forehead against Jack's and panting against his mouth.

Jack kisses him again and leans forward slowly. Bitty lets himself be pushed, resting his weight on one elbow before he gently pushes Jack away. "Stop, stop," he says, waving his hands in front of him.

Jack instantly sits up straight, eyes widening. "I'm sorry-" he starts, looking a bit panicked, but Bitty quickly cuts him off.

"It's fine," he insists. He looks away, blushing. "It's not that I don't want to. It's just—My parents are right downstairs. And I've never… been with anyone else before. In any sense of the word."

Jack hesitantly reaches for Bitty, pulling him in for a hug when he doesn't retreat. "I'm sorry. We can wait as long as you want. And we can definitely wait for a time when your parents aren't around," he says, and they both laugh.

"Thank you," Bitty says. Jack just hugs him tighter and looks slightly confused, like he doesn't understand what there is to be thanked for.

They separate after a few minutes, Bitty's cheeks still a little pink. He glances skittishly around the room, then says, "Maybe we should go do something downstairs."

Jack agrees, and they end up playing an old board game that Bitty finds in the closet. His mother joins them for the second round. Bitty laughs as he takes the lead and pretends not to notice the secretive smile that his mom sends Jack.

...

Bitty tries not to mope when they arrive at the airport. They walk Jack to his gate. "Well… Bye, Jack," he says awkwardly. He resists the urge to hug him.

"Bye, Bittle. We'll make plans later, okay?"

He nods and fakes a smile. It feels too big and he's sure that everyone can tell it's not real.

Bitty's parents say their goodbyes with a handshake and a hug.

"Oh, honey…" his mother says suddenly. She winks at him before grabbing Coach by the elbow. She turns him around to face her and talk.

Bitty grins and mouths 'thank you' before pulling Jack around the corner. As soon as they're out of sight, he pulls Jack down for a kiss that's too quick for him to even respond to. "Bye, Jack," he says again, pulling him in for a tight hug. He feels like this would be the moment to say "I love you," like the last two years have been building up to this moment. He also feels like it's much too soon, since they've only actually been dating for less than a week. Instead, he says, "I'll miss you."

Jack squeezes back. "I'll miss you too, Eric. It's only for a while, though."

Bitty nods into his chest before pulling away. "Promise you'll let me know when you land?"

"Sure."

"Good. Well, we should get back now. I don't know how long Mama can cover for us."

They meet up with his parents again, just in time for Jack's flight to be called. He joins the line, and looks back just before stepping through the door to see the Bittles waving at him. He waves back, then disappears.

Bitty's mother glances over at him, and he gives her a real smile. She ruffles his hair silently before leading them back out of the airport.

...

When he gets back to the quiet of his own room, Bitty pulls out his phone. _I miss you already… I already regret stopping you earlier._ He sends it before he can change his mind. Jack won't see it until he arrives in Canada anyway.

...

Just as Bitty starts to drift off, his phone lights up. He unlocks it and stares drowsily at the screen until his eyes adjust. _I miss you too… Well, when you come to visit, you can try out the bed first thing._

Bitty blushes a bit at the suggestion, but before he can reply, he gets another text. _And then you can try out the oven second._

He laughs and types out his answer. _You know me too well :P_

 _Maybe I do. Goodnight, Eric._

 _Goodnight, Jack._ He falls asleep with a smile, still waiting to see if there will be another reply.


	8. Chapter 8: Epilogue

A/N: Here's the real final chapter! Thanks for joining me on this ride, I hope you all have enjoyed it! :D

If I didn't make it obvious enough, this takes place several months later than the rest of the fic.

...

Bitty unlocks the door, every muscle in his body finally relaxing when he steps over the threshold. Within moments, Jack is there, greeting him with a kiss and rolling his suitcase into the bedroom.

"Welcome home." Bitty's heart flutters at the sentiment. Though he's still a member of the Haus, it's true that he practically lives here on breaks and most weekends. "How was the drive?"

"Stressful. People are crazy."

"I'm sorry," Jack answers. He leads his boyfriend back out toward the kitchen. "Stress baking?"

Bitty grins, giving him another quick peck before starting to rummage through the cabinet. "How are things going with the Falconers lately?" he asks over his shoulder. He smiles a bit mischievously. "I mean, of course I've been watching all the official news, but…"

Jack smiles. "It's going… really well. They're all great guys, and we're on a winning streak."

"Good. And the photography? Did you get that last batch developed yet? I'm still waiting to see them."

"Yeah." He leaves the room, and when he returns he's carrying a thick stack of photos. "I got the new ones done, too."

They talk for a while longer, and Bitty looks over the pictures while he waits for the first pie to bake. Without saying the words aloud, he tries to portray how proud and happy he still is that Jack has finally found something he enjoys doing that doesn't put so much pressure on him. Jack doesn't respond, simply wrapping an arm around his waist and pulling him closer.

"Oh, I promised Rans and Holster I would give them a tour via Skype, since they still haven't had time to make it up here."

Jack cringes, looking around at the slight mess. "Can it wait until tomorrow?"

"Sure," Bitty says with a laugh. "Actually, maybe you should do it. I'm sure they'd be excited to talk to you 'face to face.'"

"Alright," he answers, smiling. Within a few minutes, Bitty has lost himself in his baking, and Jack wanders out of the room.

...

Bitty slowly comes out of his daze to find three more pies than he had originally planned to make. He smiles sheepishly, despite the fact that there's nobody around to see it, and puts them away. He checks the clock, surprised to see that it's past midnight.

When he opens the bedroom door, Jack glances up from his book and gives him a sleepy smile before setting it aside and lying down. He holds the covers up in invitation, and Bitty flicks the light off and joins him. He snuggles as close as possible, his back to Jack's chest, and hikes the blanket up higher.

"Goodnight, Jack. Love you."

"I love you, too," Jack answers, wrapping an arm around him and kissing the top of his head. Bitty barely hears him, already halfway into the dream world.


End file.
